The fifth edition in its history, we are extremely excited to confirm our annual list of the top 30 players in the Scottish Women’s Premier League for 2025.
Scotland midfielder Kirsty McLean become the youngest winner of the award last year before bagging a move across the border to the Women’s Super League with Liverpool in the summer, meaning this year’s list has a new name at the top of the pile.
The second player to move to the English top tier immediately after winning this award, former Celtic’s centre-back Caitlin Hayes claimed the award in 2023 prior to her switch to Brighton, while Scotland centurion and Glasgow City legend Hayley Williams remains our only back-to-back winner, having claimed the honours in 2021 and 2022.
So how does the list work, you may ask? We ask a panel of 10 judges, including current and former SWPL players, coaches, experts, and journalists to name their 10 top best players in order from the top tier over the last 12.
Each judge is given the following rules for voting:
- Only one person per SWPL club can vote.
- Votes cannot include a player from their own club, to ensure choices are not guided by club or professional loyalties.
- The players chosen must be currently playing in the SWPL.
- Vote must remain anonymous.
From here, we used the metric that each player is awarded points for their ranking (ie: position one = 10 points, position two = 9 points, position three = 8 points etc.) we then add together the points from each vote to give us the definitive of the year’s best players in the SWPL.
Here is our annual list of the top 30 players in the Scottish Women's top tier for the year 2025 from position 30 to No 1.
17. 14: Katie Wilkinson - Rangers ⬇️ (Last year: 3rd)
Won a domestic double with Rangers last year, lifting the Sky Sports Cup and Scottish Cup, after arriving in Glasgow with a reputation as one of the best goal-scorers in Britain. She hasn’t disappointed either, scoring 65 league goals for the club despite only being in the SWPL for a mere 18 months. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
18. 13: Emma Lawton - Celtic ⬇️ (Last year: 5th)
Made a big impact in a short spell at Partick Thistle and caught the eye of Celtic last summer. After adapting quickly to the demands of professional football, Lawton developed into one of the club's top performers, and she has since cemented her place as Scotland's first-choice right-back. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
19. 12: Caley Gibb - Hibs ⬆️ (Last year: 29th)
Versatile and tenacious, Gibb moved to the champions on a loan deal last season, and shone in a full-back role as Hibs lifted the league championship in May, Originally a dynamic winger, she has transitioned to defence, and offers composure, well-roundedness, with an ability to contribute effectively at both ends of the pitch | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
20. 11: Kimberly Smit - Glasgow City 🆕 (Last year: N/A)
Strong in the tackle, the Dutch centre-back poses a threat in both boxes and has produced several game-winning moments in her Glasgow City career following her arrival two summers ago. One of the league's most consistent defenders, Smit is a real on-pitch leader for the Petershill club. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group